Improvement in burial-caskets



M. M. & S. G. HERSMAN.

Burial-Gaskets.

No.l47,263.

Patented Feb.1o.1a74.

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/n/'em Era' "ad" Mf/ 4Q UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MIorIAEL M. HEEsMAN AND sTEoTHEE e. HEnsMAN, on nLooMINGToN,

' ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BURIAL-GASKETS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 14%263, dated February 10, 1874; application iiled .December 24, 1873.

To all whom ft"may concer-nf:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL M. HEIes- MAN and STEOTHEE G. HERsMAN, of the city of Bloomington, in the county of McLean and in the State of Illinois, have invented an 11nprovement in Burial-Gaskets, of metal and do hereby declare that the following' is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specification, in which like letters of reference refer to like parts, and in which- Figure l represents a longitudinal elevation 5 Fig. 2, a longitudinal vertical section; Fig. 3, a cross-section on line b I), Fig. 2; Fig. el, a cross vertical section along a a, Figs. l and 2.

This improvement relates to metal easkets which are cemented at the edges 5 and consists in returning a horizontal lip on the inner edge of the rim of the lid in one or more places on each side of the lid, to be held by the shoulder or point ofv a spring-hook pivoted to the body of the casket, to retain the lid in place without screws or other fastenings, so as to constitute a self-fastening case. The springs maybe disengaged by swinging the saine sidewise,` and the lid can be lifted.

In the drawings, A represents the lower casket, made of sheet-metal walls, inclosing between them a solid wooden lining, C, throughout, for the .purpose of strengthening the ease, and to retain the necessary screws of the littings (or of the lid when so fastened) and the screws of hooks, soon to be described. No screws are allowed to pierce the inner metal sheet, nor is it necessary. The upper edge is provided with a groove, g, to contain cement to receive the tongue f of the lid B. One ormore pivoted hooks, k k, or springs d, provided witha shoulder (and sloping edge) or catch, are pivoted to the sides of the body of the casket in two or more places under the lid. These springs d stand a little outward from the surface of the case at the point, so that, when the lid B is pressed upon the casket A. the spring d is forced back by the lip e of the lid until the latter passes beyond the shoulder of the spring the latter, then, being above the lip, retains said lid immovably; but the shoulder of the spring may be drawn sidewise on the pivot to release the lip, and the lid can then be lifted. The hooks k k we also use for the same purpose. These are turned in the same manner, both to hold the lid and to fasten it, by the passage ot' the hook above the returned lip c. rlhese fastenings do not interfere with the common plan of screwing the lid to the main body. The screws, if this inode is preferred, can be inserted in the usual places, and the wooden lining will retain them.

The operation of this invention is as follows:

.The groove g is fllled in any known manner with the known eeinents. rlhe lid B is then laid 011, its lip or rim j' passing into the cement at the same time that the returned lips c fall over the shoulder of the springs d, placed ou either side ot' the casket A, and the lid is secured without further trouble or the use oi' screws.

\Vhat we claim as our invention is- A burialcaskct constructed with pivoted Witnesses ELBERT J. ADAMS, JOHN B. RoEEnTs. 

